//
City in Ontario, Canada
Photo: User:Trappy, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
St. Catharines is a city of 137,000 people (2021) in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario. It has the Welland Canal, a dry-dock for ships, and automotive plants. A pond near the mouth of the first Welland Canal now hosts regional and national rowing championships every year. Three World Rowing Championships have been held here: in 1970, 1999, and 2010, with another planned in 2024.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The Welland Canal runs along the east side of the city. From late March to Christmas, ships travel between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario bypassing Niagara Falls using the series of locks that constitute the canal. Visitors can see the ships at several locations. The best locations are the Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3, and the Lock 7 Viewing Complex in Thorold. Sections of the canal are drained between New Year's and mid-March for maintenance.
The Welland Canals Centre houses a tourist information centre, gift shop, the St. Catharines Museum and the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame. The raised observation deck (elevator available) allows visitors to see the process as ships are raised or lowered in Lock 3. Ships pass through the locks from late March to the end of December. There is a picnic area and children's playground just north of the building.
This is a good location to watch ships being raised or lowered in Lock 7. A short walk leads to the head of Lock 7 for a very close look.
Legend has it that couples who kiss here enjoy luck and happiness.
This heritage park was started in 1887. It has a rose garden with over 1,300 bushes in 25 varieties. The park also has an ornamental fountain, a band shell and pavilion.
A graffiti alley apparently encouraged by the City.
Constructed 1848-1849, the building was modelled after the town hall in Perugia, Italy. It features a quaint tower with a three-face clock under an octagonal cupola.
Built in 1855, BME Church was a terminus for the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was a church member and one of the conductors leading escaped slaves to this church.
Located near Lake Gibson, this 19th-century gristmill operated from 1883 to 1933 and is still in working order. The site also has a picnic area.
Fantastic scenery can be enjoyed in Shorthills Provincial Park which is within minutes of the downtown core. The main entrance is surrounded by vineyards and forests while the trails themselves wind up and down the escarpment. All trails are suitable for hiking. There are some fantastic mountain biking trails, and trails for horseback riding. In the winter, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are also popular activities. There is no shortage of wildlife, a couple of waterfalls, rivers, valleys, and cliffs. There is great scenery on every trail all waiting to be explored. Dogs are welcome.
Remnants of the First and Second Canals including lock walls can still be seen.
The site has ruins of an 1870 knife factory that was closed about 1921. The original stone foundations remain.
Nice view from a narrow pedestrian bridge over the lock.
A staircase of stone locks remain from the second Welland Canal. The ruins of several industrial buildings are nearby.
Features a beach, picnic areas and a carousel.
One popular attraction of Lakeside Park is its old-fashioned, wooden carousel, carved between 1898 and 1905; it still costs only 5 cents a ride.
The lighthouse is a wooden, octagonal tower with a 12-sided lantern at the top. It was built in 1898 to serve the now-defunct third Welland Canal which passed through Port Dalhousie. Today, the lantern is not used.
A pool hall with 12 billiards tables, 2 snooker, food, beer and fun. All ages welcome.
Home of the Niagara IceDogs (hockey) and the Niagara River Lions (basketball).
Although a working farm with cattle and other crops, the big attraction is the Sugarbush. The Sugarbush Adventure runs weekends in February and March.
One of the world's best rowing courses is home to the annual Canadian Henley Regatta, named after the original regatta in Henley-on-Thames. The event is held in early August.
The Niagara Escarpment straddles the city's southern border, and the Bruce Trail takes hikers along its ridge east toward Niagara Falls, south toward Thorold and the Welland Canal, or west to Lincoln through the Morningstar Mill and Decew Falls area.
140-km trail that goes through Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Welland, Thorold, St. Catharines and Niagara on the Lake.
Annual event that occurs in September.
This is a Japanese restaurant. The owner is Japanese, so you can enjoy real Japanese food: sushi, teriyaki beef/chicken, tempura and so on.
Well-liked St Catharines restaurant. Entertainment usually on Friday & Saturday nights.
Authentic Thai food, slow service and a language barrier that results in a high probability that you will not get what you ordered. Most often they will correct it if you are willing to put up with a longer wait. But it is worth it and if you aren't picky any meal they put in front of you will be very delicious. They have a good vegetarian and vegan selection and the prices are reasonable. They also have the coldest beer in town served to you in an ice-frosted mug. Despite the slow service and frequent mix-ups, regulars keep coming back to this restaurant.
Korean restaurant. “Cook-it-yourself” on their electronic grill table. Features five different types of barbecues.
British style pub.
The food is almost as good as their beers. It is made from scratch and fantastic value. Great budget pub food. The chicken wings are the best in the area and they have some very hot and even some usual sauces you can try. Try the shoestring fries as well but just about anything on the menu is as good as it sounds. For details on beers see the drink section below.
Restaurant & tavern.
Thai restaurant.
This place has much better value, flavour, and selection than the other pita places downtown. They also have burgers, fresh cut fries, smoothies, frozen yogurt, sliders and other goodies prepared fresh. A popular take-out lunch destination as well. Also at 343 Glendale Ave and 100 Martindale Rd (inside Nonna's Kitchen) in St Catharines, and 30 Rice Rd in Welland. Each location has different hours.
Vegan restaurant.
Possibly the best hang out pub in the city. Most of the beer is brewed on premises and is home to their famous Drunken Monkey Oatmeal Stout. Some other honorable mentions go to the blueberry wheat, strawberry blonde, IPA, Hockey Ale, and their seasonal pumpkin ale and holiday skullcrusher. There is some interesting live music most Saturdays. The type of music never seems to be the same. This is a pub for all ages and is thankfully not frequented by immature college crowds.
Brewpub and concert hall located in a restored 1870s building.
The Pelham family has been growing grapes here for six generations.
Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah are the signature wines. Its Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon and Syrah have their fans too. On-site restaurant.
Small batch wines, mostly from grapes hand-picked in their own vineyards. On-site restaurant and B&B accommodation.
A focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The property is on the Jordan Harbour, and there is a walking trail along the harbour. On-site restaurant.
Focused on Cabernet Franc and Riesling. On-site restaurant.
A focus on red wines made according to Italian traditions. On-site restaurant.
On-site restaurant.
Complimentary breakfast of hot drinks, juice, muffins and other pastries, free Hi Speed Wireless Internet, 100% non- smoking rooms, in-room safe and fridge.
Complimentary Wi-Fi, cable television, mini fridge, coffee maker.
Campus residence. Available to travellers from May to August.
About 2.5 km from Downtown St. Catherines.
A wide variety of stores and services are available in the downtown area, located mainly along St. Paul Street between Ontario and Geneva streets.
Major stores include Chapters, IKEA, Mark's Work Wearhouse, Sport Chek, Winners, and Zehrs. Nearby large stores include Costco, Home Depot, and Staples. There is a food court in the mall. Harvey's and Swiss Chalet restaurants are in the parking lot.
Although closer to St. Catharines, this open-air outlet mall is part of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The first phase opened May 15, 2014. The main anchor is Bass Pro Shops.
A shopping mall. You can get almost anything. Large stores include Dollarama, H&M, Homesense, Old Navy, SportChek, Winners, Walmart, and Zehrs. Services include Passport Canada. There is a food court inside the mall. A&W, Boston Pizza, and Kelsey's restaurants are in the parking lot.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Niagara-on-the-Lake · Regional · YCM
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about St. Catharines and Canada.
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
6 min read
ItinerariesThe Bruce Trail is a marked, pedestrian footpath in Ontario. The Bruce Trail runs 904 km along the Niagara Escarpment, which is like walking from Milan to Paris, and then doing an extra lap around the Boulevard…
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesThis article describes historical escape routes for American slaves. See Public transportation for underground rail systems in the literal sense.
Wikivoyage
Food & drinkWhile many people would assume that Ontario is too cold to produce wine, in fact the wine regions of Ontario are at the same latitude as Bordeaux, northern Italy and Oregon, and its grape-growing season is comparable to…
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.